Improvement in potato-droppers



G H. ZANE & S. A. KENNEDY.

POTATO-DROPPER.

Patented. Nov. '2, I875.

UNITED STATES P T N OF CE GEORGE H. ZANE, or SHOEMAKERTOWN, AND SAMUELA. KENNEDY, OF j PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

lMPROVEMENT IN PlOTATO-DROPPERS,

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. [69,395, dated November2, 1875; application filed September 14,1875.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, GEORGE H. ZANE, of Shoemakertown, in the county ofMontgomery, and SAMUEL A. KENNEDY, of the city and county ofPhiladelphia, both of the State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new anduseful Improvement in Potato-Droppers 5 and we do hereby declare thatthe following is a clear and exact description of the nature thereof,sufficient to enable others skilled in the art to which our inventionappertains to fully understand, make, and use the same, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings making part of this specification, inwhich- Figure l is a side view of the device embodying our invention.Fig. 2 is a top or plan view thereof. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig.l, partly sectional. Fig. 4. is a rear view of a portion thereof.

Similar letters of reference indicate. corresponding parts in theseveral figures.

Our invention consists in means for passing potatoes from a hopper to adischarge-spout. A tooth takes the potato from a conveyer at the bottomof a hopper, and said conveyer has combined with it a rising and fallingoverhanging door, a projecting arm, and a sliding plate, whereby thepotatoes will not clog, and thedischarge of more-than the desired1111111 her is prevented.

Referring to the drawings, A represents a wheeled frame or truck, onwhich is mounted a hopper, B, having a vertical partition, G, whichdivides the hopper into two compartments, a b. D represents a dischargespout, which communicates with the compartment b. Fitted to the bottomof the hopperB is a horizontally-arranged V or U shaped conveyingslide,E, which moves under the partition (3, and covers and uncovers the topof the spout D. To the slide-E is attached an arm, 0, which is connectedto a yoke, cl, fitted on an eccentric, F, whose bearings are on theframe or truck A, and which receives power from the wheel of the frameor truck A. G represents a tooth-or prong having an axial motion, andadapted to move in and out of the compartmentb of the hopper. Motion isimparted to the tooth by means of the eccentric F, whose yoke d isconnected to the lower end of the tooth. To the rear side of the innerface of the hopper B, at or about the bottom thereof, there is secured aV-shaped arm, H, which projects downwardly into the conveying-slide E,and on the front side thereof there is hinged a door, J, which hangsover the slide E. Rising from the rear end of the slide E is a plate, K,which, secured to the plate, moves in and out of the hopper through aslit or opening in the rear side thereof, and when it is in the hopperit occupies a position between the sides of the arm H. The slide E hassecured to it, near its forward end, an upwardly-extending pin L, which,when the slide moves back, comes under the door J and elevates thesame.-

The operation is as follows: The truck will be pushed or pulled, thehandles e-being provided for that purpose. The rotation of the wheel ofthe truck will impart rotary motion to the eccentric F, wherebyreciprocating motions will be imparted to the conveying-slide E and hookG. As the slide G moves to the rear the potatoes at the bottom of thehopper will be lifted by the door rising by the action of the pin L.This prevents crowding of the potatoes, and permits the lowermost potatoto enter the slide E. The forwardly and downwardly projecting arm Hserves to prevent clogging of the potatoes at the bottom of the hopperand crowding thereof on the slide E. The slide now moves forward andcarries the potato thereon under the doorJ and partition 0 into thecompartment 12. The plate K advances with the slide and separates thepotatoes above the arm H, and prevents crowding on the slide at the rearof the hopper, while the lowered door J prevents crowding on the slideat the forward part of the hopper. The potato, having reached thecompartment b, is seized by the tooth G, which has entered saidcompartment by the action of the eccentric F, and is caused to piercethe potato. The slide now returns, and the tooth holding the potatorises. When the slide uncovers the top of the spout D the tooth movesout of the compartment through a slot in the front wall of the hopper,and the potato, stopping against the walls of said slot, is cleared ofthe tooth and falls into the spout D, by which it is directed-intoltheground. Another potato now enters the conveyer-slide, and the operation,

as above stated, is repeated, and continued vuntil the work iscompleted.

' It is evident that a number of conveyors and teeth may be employed inorder to duplicate or multiply the number of potatoes to be dropped.

Having thus described our invention, what 7 we claim as new, and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The rising and falling door J, in combination with theconveying-slide E, substantially as and=for the purpose set-forth.

. 2. The projecting arm H, in combination with the conveying-slide E anddoor J, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The vertical plate K, in combination with the conveying-slide E,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. The vertical plate K and projecting arm H, in combination with theconveying-slide E and door J, substantially as and for the purpose setforth.

5. The partitioned hopper B, rising and falling door J, and projectingarm H, in combination with the conveying-slide E, plate K, and tooth Gr,substantially as-and for the purpose set forth.

GEO. H. ZANE. SAMUEL A. KENNEDY. Witnesses:

JOHN A. WIEDERSHEIM, LEWIS F. BROUS.

